The use of touch screen displays as input devices for portable electronic devices has increased significantly in recent years. A variety of file management functions may need to be performed with such devices. For example, a user may need to navigate through a hierarchical directory and perform directory management operations on files and/or folders in a single directory. Similarly, a user may also need to perform directory management operations between two hierarchical directories, such as copying or moving files and/or folders from one hierarchical directory on the portable device to another hierarchical directory on a remote device.
But existing methods for performing these directory management operations on portable electronic devices are cumbersome and inefficient, particularly on handheld devices due to the small size of the touch screen display. Searching for a file or folder and subsequently navigating through menus is inconvenient and time consuming, thereby creating a significant cognitive burden on a user. In addition, existing methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for portable electronic devices with touch screen displays with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for performing directory management tasks. Such methods and interfaces reduce the cognitive burden on a user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated electronic devices, such methods and interfaces conserve power and increase the time between battery charges.